RE: Ford Mustang Ecoboost Convertible: Driven

RE: Ford Mustang Ecoboost Convertible: Driven

Author
Discussion

Mr Tidy

22,065 posts

126 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
This would never be my choice of Mustang (Fastback V8 manual) but by widening the appeal hopefully they sell more and that way keep offering the Mustang with RHD in the UK.
I gave up Fords in 1997 when I sold my dog of a Sierra GLSi, but this is the first one since then that I really want (maybe because it's the first with RWD)!
Thanks to Ford for doing it and good luck.thumbup

Kawasicki

13,041 posts

234 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Why won't it appeal to male drivers who aren't interested in going fast?
At around 5.5 secs to 60mph it's just too slow, or something like that.

cirian75

4,245 posts

232 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
no diesel version ?


tongue out

Curator

306 posts

202 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
unsprung said:
Good review. Wisely, it acknowledges the distinct "jobs" for which buyers in different countries will, or won't, "hire" this car.

Behind closed doors, few at Ford are likely to disagree.

They'd simply remind us of the variety that Mustang offers: engines, transmissions, body style, etc. Satisfy a diversity of buyers: keep sales volume up and unit cost down.

And they'd surely remind us of the low sales volumes anticipated in individual countries outside the US. Business case and all that.

Motoring in the UK is not a low-cost endeavour. Consequently, if you are adamant that precious little will stand in the way of your passion for performance, you are certain to be a fastidious shopper of cars.

Some people talk about handling in terms of road holding; Britons talk about handling in terms of what happens when there is insufficient road to hold. The expectations, and the level of fluency if you will, are higher.

Large swathes of the world are not there, yet. Or they simply have other priorities. A cashed-up young executive in China -- where tax on engine displacement is akin to a felony punishment -- is going to look at the four-cylinder convertible Mustang a bit differently than here.

For me, the thing that is potentially most exciting is that the Mustang narrative will now have more voices. And some from very different cultures (Iran anyone?). This might lead to all sorts of fun stuff.
Superb commentary - you sir are exceptionally enlightened!

oldtimer2

728 posts

132 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
Speaking of V8 Mustangs, by chance I passed one today parked in a nearby road with MU58ANG plates. A bit of a stretch but ingenious nevertheless.

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Tuesday 19th May 2015
quotequote all
Curator said:
...commentary...
thank you

Fire99

9,844 posts

228 months

Wednesday 20th May 2015
quotequote all
cirian75 said:
no diesel version ?


tongue out
Considering the Ecoboost appears to have very similar driving characteristics to a diesel, I'm surprised they haven't shoehorned in one of the larger Ford diesel lumps into it (for European buyers)

Calza

1,979 posts

114 months

Thursday 21st May 2015
quotequote all
It works well in Audi's etc.

A diesel cab as a bit of a boulevard cruiser .. people would probably buy it!

cirian75

4,245 posts

232 months

Thursday 21st May 2015
quotequote all
Calza said:
It works well in Audi's etc.

A diesel cab as a bit of a boulevard cruiser .. people would probably buy it!
the 215bhp/325lb-ft volvo 2.4 D5 would be a good choice.

Clivey

5,108 posts

203 months

Thursday 21st May 2015
quotequote all
Not sure how I'd feel about a diesel Mustang. - On one hand, it seems like sacrilege but on the other the 'Stang range has always encompassed "lesser" models for the boulevard cruisers. If Ford still owned JLR, their V6/V8 diesels would have worked!

Still; V8 petrol manual for me please! smokin

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Wednesday 27th May 2015
quotequote all
"We think the EcoBoost model will be a bigger seller longer term and help sustain sales longer than most performance cars."

2015 Ford Mustang: Australian deposits top 2000, six months from launch



PHMatt

608 posts

147 months

Friday 6th November 2015
quotequote all
I just got back from the states where I had one of these for 10 days and did around about a thousand miles in, if not more.
It was even the auto version.

Firstly - my daily at home in the UK is a 330 Convertible so I'm used to 6 cylinders, a manual box and BMW handling.....

I preferred the Mustang.

I didn't like it at first as, seeing as it was my first time driving on the wrong side, I slung it in D and went out getting used to roads etc. After a hundred or so miles my thoughts were "what is it doing?"
I couldn't tell if it was turbo lag or an auto box with no idea what to do when you press the go pedal. It felt almost dieselish with the loud turbo hissing and not a lot of movement.

HOWEVER. Once I moved out of the city in to some bendy west coastal roads into and out of Yosemite (bendier than most UK roads by MILES to those snobs that think the US is stright lines only) I popped it into Sport mode.
The car transformed. All of a sudden it felt like an NA. There was no lag. The gear box dropped a cog (or more) as soon as you stamped on the throttle. It made a nice(ish) sound for a 4 pot turbo and it revved nicely to well over 6k rpms.

AND THEN....I flicked one of the paddles. In sport it goes into Manual and it stays in Manual. Brilliant time navigating the mountain route out of Yosemite. You can rag it right up to the redline, the only time it wont let you pick your own gear is when you're just wrong (like trying to go from 5th to 6th at 35mph to save fuel)

I got an average of 27 US MPG on each trip I did, which, correct me if i'm wrong (no really, please do as I'm not sure I'm right) is roughly 35 UK MPG? That wipes the floor with my 330 and this has 80bhp more.

It handled the bends well, the small light 4 cylinder meant it never felt nose heavy which I would imagine the V8 suffers from badly as well as poor economy for not a lot more power.

And all this, with the nice wheels, satnav, air conditioned seat and 310bhp can be had for £33k

Walk in to a BMW dealer, an Audi dealer or a Mercedes dealer and see what they offer you for £33,000
You wont get a specc'd up 310bhp convertible RWD stunning looking convertible that's for sure.
You might just about get a coffee out of the receptionist before you get mugged off by the salesman for £33k!


I'm a German car fanatic. They ARE better but you pay for that, you pay a LOT more money and, as much as I love em - none can come close to the Mustang for looks. It's an absolute stunner.
Bravo Ford. I didnt like you until 2 weeks ago today.